ThefirstnovelbytheHugoandNebulaaward-winningnovelistVondaNMcIntyre,TheExileWaitingintroducestheworldthatMcIntyrelatermadefamouswithhermulti-award-winningDreamsnake.Inpost-apocalypticworldinwhichCenter,anencloseddomedcity,isrunbyslave-owningfamilieswhocontroltheplanet’sresourcesandarestranglingthecity’seconomybytheirdecadence,Mischa,athirteen-yearoldsneakthief,isstrugglingtosupportherdrug-addictelderbrotherChris,andtheirpredatoryunclewhousestheirtelepathiclinkwiththeircaptiveyoungersisterGemmitocontrolthem.ThealienpseudosibsSuboneandSubtwohavecometoEarthtotakeoverCenter’sresources.Suboneisattractedbythedecadentlivingonofferandbeginstounlinkfromhissibling’sconditioning.Subtwohasfallenunexpectedlyinlovewithaslave.WhenMischadefendsChrisfromSubone’smalice,SubtwohuntsherbeneathCenter’sfoundations,anddiscovershowterribleCenter’scrueltyhasbeentoitsinhabitantswithgeneticallydistortedbodiesandminds.Theyhavetorescuethemandleave...buthow?
